Angel of Innocence
by Sebe
Summary: Yamachi. My first actual fic. Tai and Matt are alone and the woods and Tai is deathly ill.


Angel of Innocence

This is my very first fanfic and it's a Taito! I just love this couple. I would really appreciate constructive criticism so e-mail me if you have time please. This is set when they're fighting the Dark Maters. Matt and Tai go off by themselves and…well, just read it! I hope ya like it! Please R+R. Arigato. 

By the way, their ages are

Tai- 11

Matt- 12

You can figure out the rest, right?

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Inside one of the forests in the digiworld, buried deep inside a small clearing, a young boy with blonde hair sat. He had tears in his eyes, yet they were not for himself. 

Lying next to the boy was another slightly smaller child with brown hair; his goggles lay to the side of his head and were replaced with a damp piece of cloth. 

"Ya-Yamato…"

Yamato looked up quickly at the slightest sound of recognition from his friend, but was disappointed to see him still asleep. Actually, The blue-eyed boy didn't know if you could say he was asleep or in a coma. 

Yamato scurried over to Tai. He gripped Taichi's hand in his own and gasped. 

It was a mildly warm fall night with only a slight wind chill, but Taichi was ice-cold.

'I shouldn't be surprised…' Matt told himself. 'He's been like this for days.'

It had been almost a week since they had separated themselves from the others, including their digimon and younger siblings to explore another possible route for the team. Tai had, of course, volunteered to go when the subject had first been brought up and Matt had quickly decided to go with him. He thought it might have been his perfect opportunity…but it had turned into this.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  


On the third day, Tai simply collapsed. Matt ran up to catch him and succeeded before his head could make contact with a particularly nasty looking rock. 

"Tai?!" Matt questioned, terrified.

Barely conscious, Tai looked up at Matt with those chocolate, almost midnight-brown eyes that Matt had long declared the most beautiful sight in the world. 

"I…I'm o-okay…Yamato." Tai ground out. "I'm just…a little, c-cold…"

Matt immediately tried to find Taichi's pulse and didn't like the results. He could barely feel his love's heartbeat. 

Yes, he did love Taichi. That was why he had been so eager to come on this little adventure. They would be alone and finally have a chance to talk, but he had waited too long. He kept getting scared. Matt had been trying to tell Tai for three days now, but to no avail and now this.

He put a hand to Tai's forehead. He did have a slight fever, but that was not his main concern. Although Taichi's forehead was warm, the rest of his body was unbearably cold. He felt like he was frozen right down to the bone.

"Hang on Taichi. You'll be okay. I promise I won't let anything happen to you." He said as he grabbed Tai and pulled him closer to his chest, trying to force some warmth back into his body.

Matt sat there for a while like that just holding Taichi and not knowing what else to do. Finally Tai spoke

"M…Matt…" Tai's warm breath ran across Yamato's neck, sending a chill through his body. 

"I'm right here Tai." Matt said, not relinquishing his hold on the boy. He had to strain to hear his soft words which he knew Taichi was only able to speak through sheer force of will.

"Matt…I-I'm sorry. I never meant….not to tell you…"

Matt was puzzled.

"Tell me what Taichi?" 

But before another question could form itself in his mind, Tai went completely limp in Matt's arms.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  


Matt had never known such panic until Tai passed out like that. 

Since then it had been four days and Tai's condition was steadily deteriorating. He had woken up a few times, but for the most part he just seemed disconnected, like he didn't really register that he was there at all. 

Matt had been able to successfully gain his attention the first couple of times he had regained consciousness and had found out that Tai had been extremely ill recently. Only he and Kari knew about it. Joe did to some extent. He had found Kari with her brother one night piling blankets on top of his shaking form. He had asked what was wrong, but Kari had simply explained the question away by telling him that Taichi just had a slight cold and was having chills. Joe accepted that and had reluctantly walked away. Kari hated having to lie to him, but Tai was very insistent on her not telling anyone. He didn't want to slow them down. So she had kept her brother's secret and Tai had suffered in silence.

Matt had tried everything he could think of to help Taichi. He had wrapped both their sleeping bags around him and at one point he had four fires going at one time. None of this had seemed to help though and Matt no longer knew what to do. 

He didn't know exactly where the others were. They had missed their rendezvous point a good two days ago and Matt was afraid to try and move Tai. Every time he touched the boy to check for a pulse or gauge his temperature, Tai cringed away from him as though he were in pain.

Now, all Matt could think to do was sit next to Taichi and try to give him some comfort by letting him know he was there for him. 

Matt had to smile a little at Tai's appearance. Even as he was lying there like that he was still incredibly beautiful to the blonde. The small sliver of moonlight that had found it's way through the trees was illuminating Tai's pale features and seemed to cast an aura over his entire body. His hair, which was usually restrained by goggles, was hanging down around his ears and face. Matt reached out and brushed a few of the soft brown strands out of Taichi's eyes. He looked like an angel to Matt. Some heavenly creature who the evils of this world had no effect on. 

Matt sighed and the smile faded. 

Unfortunately, they did have an effect. With each passing moment Tai was getting closer and closer to death and there wasn't anything that Matt could do.

Yamato looked towards the ground in despair and cried. He was losing the only person in the world, besides his brother, that he truly cared for and all he could do was watch as his love slowly slipped away from him.

'I never even told him.' Matt thought. 'I never got the chance…No, I had plenty of chances, I just never had the courage to do it.'

Matt looked up for a moment and to his surprise; Tai had his eyes open slightly.

"Tai!"

Matt was elated, but that joy soon faded away into deep sorrow. Sure, Tai's eyes were open, but he wasn't there. Not really. He had done this before. He would wake up, but it was as if he was in another place and time. No matter what Yamato did he could never get through to Tai when he was like this. Then Tai started shivering uncontrollably

'No, I won't let this happen.' Matt thought, determinably.

With that, Matt took Taichi into his arms, cradling the trembling boy closely against him as if to dare anyone to try and take him away. 

"Wake up Taichi, you've got to snap out of this." He pleaded as he ran his hand across the soft skin of Tai's face. 

"You've got to wake up and be alright." Matt took a deep breath. "You've got to give me a chance to tell you how much I love you." 

Matt had thought that maybe that was the magical key that could bring his angel back to him, but when Tai's shivering only got more violent Matt could no longer contain his tears. 

"That's right, I love you Taichi. More than anything else in my life. I love you so much, you just…you just can't leave me now…not like this." Matt jolted his head up quickly and his once soft tone flashed with a hint of anger. "Dammit Taichi, you're stronger than this! I know you are! You're our leader and I won't let you die like this!" 

Matt again turned his head to the ground and gradually, Tai's shivering stopped.

Matt looked up to find Tai staring at him with eyes that held a slight spark of the life that had once filled them. 

"Tai…" Matt said through his tears while a smile played on his face.

Tai smiled weakly as well.

"Matt." There was a hint of urgency in Tai's voice that made fear grip Yamato once again. Tai had never used that tone before, but Matt knew it was the voice of someone who wanted to say something before it was too late.

"Tai, you…" Matt tried to tell the smaller figure that everything was all right, but was cut off.

"Just listen for a second Yamato." Tai said wearily. "Before…when I said that I…that I never got a chance to tell you…" Matt could feel the energy already leaving Tai and could feel how hard he was struggling just to get these few simple words out. "I didn't mean about….my being sick…"

Matt felt something like hope swell within him. Had he heard his plea only moments ago? Matt quickly suppressed the emotion, telling himself that such a perfect creature could never love him. Instead, he hushed Tai, telling him that he needed to save his strength and they could talk later. 

Tai sighed, but nodded slightly in compliance. He knew that once Yamato got his mind fixed on one particular idea it was impossible to change his opinion and he really didn't think he could handle an all-out fistfight right now. 

"Try to stay awake though, okay Taichi?" Before the last syllable was even out of Matt's mouth Tai was fast asleep.

Matt shook his head and smiled, running his fingers through Taichi's unruly hair. 'Never did listen very well.' Matt thought cynically.

Then Tai began shaking again, even more violently this time. 

Matt panicked; he had no idea what to do. He pulled Tai closer, but again it didn't help. Matt checked Taichi's pulse and an immediate look of horror splashed across his face. 'No.' Tai's already weak and thready heartbeat was fading fast and as Matt glanced down at Tai's chest he could tell that his breathing was also getting fainter by the second.

A million thoughts raced through Matt's mind as he held Taichi's freezing cold body, but none of them made any sense. 

Finally, Matt just broke down and cried out all his grief and anguish as he buried his face in his love's hair.

"I'm so sorry." He cried out in broken sobs. "I said that I'd protect you, but I couldn't do it…Oh, god I'm so sorry Taichi." He rocked Tai in his arms and kept whispering into his ear. "I'm so sorry…I'm so sorry." Over and over again.

When he regained control over himself, Matt found that Tai was still shivering. He glanced around looking for anything to keep him warm and his eyes fell onto their two sleeping bags that were already wrapped around Tai.

An idea struck Matt. 

Quickly, he took both the sleeping bags from around Tai and unzipped them completely. Then he zipped them back up together. He placed Taichi in one side as he settled in on the other. He zipped them both into the sleeping bags and moved so that his arms were around Tai. He hoped with all his heart that this worked.

A few moments later, Tai stopped shivering. Matt was overjoyed. It was working. He could almost feel the heat re-entering Tai's body and smiled as tears of joy cascaded down from his azure eyes.

"W-why are you crying Yama-kun?"

Matt opened his eyes and was greeted by Tai's face. His eyes no longer just held a spark of life, their entire radiance had returned. 

"Because I'm happy." Matt replied. He was surprised when Tai took that opportunity to snuggle up closer, pressing his head against Matt's chest. Matt sadly dismissed it as Tai just trying to keep warm. "How do you feel Taichi?" 

"Numb. Like there's an elephant sitting on my chest." He replied. "I don't think I can move my legs and it hurts to breathe." Matt cringed. Tai sensed it and quickly added "But that's better than before." 

Tai offered Matt a warm smile in reassurance.

"I'll get you back to the others and you'll be alright again Taichi, I swear it." Tai smiled at the conviction in Matt's voice. It was then that he decided to tell him what he had been trying to before.

"Y-Yamato?"

Matt picked up on the uncertainty in Tai's voice and thought that he was beginning to feel worse. Worriedly, he asked,

"You okay, Taichi?" 

"I, I'm fine Yamato. It's just…remember before when I was trying to explain to you what I meant by never telling you?"

That surge of hope found it's way to Matt again.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Well, what I meant…I-I mean what I meant to say…"

Tai turned his head down and whispered words that were easily carried away on the wind, but Matt heard them. 

"I love you Yama-kun."

Matt was shocked into speechlessness. Tai loved him! His angel loved him back!

Matt was jolted out of his stupor as he felt Tai's warm tears fall against his chest. He realized that Tai had just poured his heart out to him and he had sat there like a fool and not said a word.

Matt cupped Taichi's still frigid face in his hands so that he was staring into those near-midnight-eyes. As he looked at Tai, he decided that actions spoke louder than words and he leaned in.

Gently, his kissed Tai's lips, which still held a slightly blue tint. He pulled back a little from a stunned Taichi and whispered in his ear. 

"I love you too, my angel."

"Y-You wh-what?" Tai stuttered, utterly surprised. 

"I've loved you for so long now Taichi, I just…I just never had the strength to tell you."

Matt smiled and tilted his head down to catch Taichi in another soft kiss.

When Matt pulled away this time, the look of shock on Taichi's face had faded and been replaced with one of pure ecstasy. 

"We should go off on our own more often, Yamato." Taichi smiled.

"We should." Matt agreed, then gasped as Tai's eyes closed tightly and his body cringed in pain.

"Tai, Tai can you hear me?! Tai!" Matt screamed, feverishly trying to gain to smaller boy's attention.

"I-I'm okay Yamato…" came the strangled reply. "I'm just…tired…I guess…"

Matt lifted Tai's head so he was looking in his eyes. He felt his forehead and gasped again. 

"Geez, you're burning up!" Matt was about to unzip the sleeping bags when he remembered that the best way to break a fever was to keep the person warm and, although Tai's forehead was scalding to the touch, his body was still ice. 

Matt looked down once again. Tai was again unconscious and no matter how hard he tried, Matt couldn't wake him up. So he simply laid there, eyes never leaving his love. He tried to fight the sleep that was pulling at him, but eventually he lost and drifted off into unconsciousness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  


In the morning, Matt awoke and immediately checked on Tai. His heartbeat was stronger, but not by much. His temperature remained about the same. His fever hadn't risen and his body hadn't gotten any colder, but Matt knew they would if they stayed there any longer. 

Slowly, he crawled out of the adjoined sleeping bags and tried to shake Taichi awake. Gradually, he succeeded.

"Huh?" Tai mumbled. "What is it Yama?"

"We need to try and find the others so we can get you some help. Joe knows way more about this stuff than I do, but I think you're stable enough to move."

Tai grinned at Matt's obvious concern. 

"Okay, I'm up." Tai pulled the top sleeping bag off of him and slowly tried to move, but Matt pushed him back down. 

"Oh, no you don't. You're not strong enough." He told the boy gently, but with a slight firmness.

"I'm fine Matt. Don't worry." Before Matt could protest, Tai was starting to get up again. Shakily, he stood for a few mili-seconds and promptly collapsed. Matt caught him.

"I told you not to move." He said, worry evident in his voice.

"Had to try." Tai said, giving Matt a lop-sided grin.

Yamato had to smile too. Instead of offering any words to Taichi, he simply walked over to pack up the sleeping bags. When he was done, he walked back over to Tai and placed one arm behind his back and another under his knees. 

Tai let out a gasp of surprise and Matt stood with Taichi cradled into his arms.

Matt knew that Tai hated to be babied, but this was the only way to get them moving and besides that, Matt liked it.

"Matt." Tai spoke up. "What about my goggles?" 

Matt grinned and motioned to his neck. Sure enough, there were Taichi's goggles hanging around Yamato's neck.

Tai sighed and Matt took it as a sign of protest.

"I'm sorry Taichi. I know you don't like to be taken care of, but I think you're going to have to deal with it a lot until you get better."

"I don't mind that much Matt." Tai said.

Matt looked surprised. Tai had always pitched a fit when Sora or Kari has tried to baby him.

"You don't?"

"Nah." Tai smiled and cuddled up to Matt contentedly. "As long as it's you who's taking care of me."

Matt smiled.

"Always." He said.

"Promise?" Tai asked.

"Promise."

Tai closed his eyes. He was extremely tired, but before he let sleep overcome him he whispered something to Matt.

"Ashiteru, Yamato."

"Ashiteru, Taichi." Matt looked down at the figure who hovered just outside of sleep's reach. "Taichi, my angel." He added.

Tai smiled one more time then he was out.

Matt couldn't tear his eyes away from Tai. He was just too beautiful. His kindness, compassion, courage…all of them only made Tai more attractive. Aside from that was the quality that Matt found possibly the most endearing. An aura of pure white innocence was cast around Taichi wherever he went, he always believed the best in people and thought that things would work out right no matter what. That kind of purity was something that Matt had only seen in TK and Kari before, but it was simply because they were young. It would probably still be there when they grew up, but it would be dimmer. Tai however, was older than they were and, where most had already lost their aura of innocence, Tai's seemed to only get stronger.

Matt was so wrapped up in watching his sleeping angel that he almost forgot he was walking at all until a voice snapped him out of it.

He looked up to find all of the digidestined racing towards him and Tai, calling out their names. At the head of the pack were TK and Kari. Matt stopped walking and glanced down once more at Tai. His eyes fluttered open and he looked at Matt and smiled sleepily.

Soon, the others had reached them. Matt set Tai down on the ground so Joe and the rest of the group wouldn't run him over trying to check on him. TK and Joe quickly glanced over Matt and assessed that he wasn't hurt, then everyone's attention turned to Tai who was sitting up weakly with Matt's help.

A million questions came hurtling at the two all at once. Joe finally silenced them though. 

"Everybody just shut up for a minute so we can get some answers!"

He could be very commanding when he wanted to be. 

Kari slowly spoke up.

"Are you alright, Onichan?" 

"I'm fine Kari." Tai reassured her. "Just tired."

Joe looked up at Matt.

"Camp's just a little ways down here. I'll get Tai, you must be tired."

"No, I'm fine." Matt quickly disagreed. The sheer force in his voice was enough to stop any other protest from Joe or the rest of the group. 

"Let's go then, I left my bag and all my stuff there."

With that, Matt again picked Tai up and began to carry him as the others led the way. 

"Thanks Matt." Tai whispered so that only Matt could hear. "I like you carrying me much more than Joe."

"No problem." Matt said, "I just happen to be the jealous type."

Tai smiled. 

"I'm glad."

As they walked off a lone white feather fell behind them. It was the purest color of white anyone could've ever seen, but it went unnoticed by both Tai and Matt. Tai because he had his head placed contentedly up against Yamato's chest and Matt because he was simply too wrapped up in the puzzle of how he ever came about holding an angel in his arms.


End file.
